Saturday, 14 January 2017

Psalm 10:12-18 – A plea for help for the needy

Psalm 10:1-11 provide an assessment of the wicked. Everything about the wicked somehow just oozes evil. There is nothing pure from their attitude, to their thoughts and their deeds. They think, say and act that way because at the heart of the matter is that they do not believe in the existence of God. In contrast to them, David the author of this Psalm indicates here that he fully subscribes to the truth that there’s a God. He is no ordinary God but one who is just and righteous. He is the protector of the poor and needy, the exploited and the less fortunate. He will look after them and will vindicate them. Armed with that mind-set, David then made a passionate plea for God to intervene on the behalf the affected. 

In verse 12, David boldly asked God to rise up and act against the folly of the wicked who had ignored God, and not considered Him before they act. Hence, they assumed that they would never be called to give an account of their wicked deeds. This is sheer foolishness. But God does see every act of their wickedness. He could see their mischief and will take note of the plight of the oppressed. He hears the cries and sees what takes place in the people who are oppressed. David wants us to know that the God we worship and trust is a compassionate God. He takes note of the plight of the unfortunate. Here he uses different words to describe the plight of such people.  Words such as helpless, unfortunate, poor, oppressed, orphan, innocent and meek. The plea of David climaxes in his call for the annihilation of the wicked.   

In the last three verses, David praised God and acknowledged His reign. His kingdom is so powerful that it can never be overthrown. Here David urges the Sovereign God to do justice by eradicating the wicked from the land. For he was confident that God would not deny what’s due to those most at risk. More than just wanting us to sympathize with the plight of the unfortunate, David wants us to be fully acquainted with a compassionate God. He wants us to know what kind of God He really is. He is righteous and pure. Not only is He all-powerful, He is also full of wisdom. And He controls the affairs of men sovereignly and will deal with the wicked to avenge those who are exploited. Knowing such a God should help us make it our business to keep the plight of the less fortunate in prayer, and for God to intervene on their behalf.     

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